“New Grown With Pleasant Pain” (Keats): Recovering from Sexual Abuse with the Bonny Method & Poetry
Moffitt, Liz & Hall, Alison - Volume: 9
The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (GIM) was used to assist Alison to work through the long-lasting effects of extensive sexual abuse from both her mother and father. Her story is of a long, difficult, and transformative journey. This client used her connection with, and deep love of poetry to extend and heighten the effects of the music and imaging experiences of each session to create on-going healing associations for herself. Her own reflections and poetry choices are woven into this account of her process, which have been responsible in part for significant improvements in the quality of her personal and professional life. Considerations regarding the use of the Bonny Method of GIM with clients with a history of repeated abuse are addressed.